The Veteran's service connection claim for headaches was denied as there is no evidence of a disease or injury during service that resulted in current headaches.,For the entire appeal period, the Veteran’s esophageal stricture with cirrhosis of the liver and alcohol hepatitis has been manifested by persistently recurrent epigastric distress, dysphagia, pyrosis, reflux, regurgitation, and sleep disturbances without substernal, arm, or shoulder pain. The condition does not result in considerable impairment of health.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's esophageal stricture with cirrhosis of the liver and alcohol hepatitis was found to be asymptomatic throughout the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- Headaches, Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB), Esophageal Stricture with Cirrhosis of the Liver and Alcohol Hepatitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20046827
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20046827.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal to revise the effective date for a 50% disability rating for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) is dismissed because the July 2024 proposed rating decision was not an appealable determination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to PTSD, but his headaches are denied due to lack of service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for PFB is denied as the condition did not manifest through scarring or disfigurement during the appeal period.
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